Ruth Brown

A new internship coordinator is coming to SDSU soon.

The new coordinator will help to organize the internships that so many students are looking for. The College of General Studies is in the process of finding someone to fill the position.

With a new internship coordinator on board, there will be many new and exciting opportunities for all the students at SDSU.

The idea of finding an internship coordinator originally came from SDSU’s Students’ Association. SA met with university administration to propose the idea of hiring a coordinator. They wanted someone who could help give the students a voice in planning their future.

The idea was fully supported by President Chicoine and the rest of the university administration, said Keith Corbett, the Interim Dean of General Studies.

The internship coordinator will work with all the departments on internship programs. They will also be in charge of training faculty for internships.

SA wants to make internships an option for any student looking for experience. They believe internships will help give students an idea of what is to come in their future.

“Hopefully we will be able to find internships for every major,” Brady Mallory, Arts and Science senator, said.

It is common for students to work for the company they interned at after graduation. Internships often give students an advantage with job offers after graduation, said Mallory.

“I think internships are a great opportunity,” said sophomore nursing major Theresa Knutson. “They’re a great way to help prepare you for your future career.”

When the new coordinator is hired, he or she will be someone who can really go out looking for great student internships.

Generally the internships for students are within 50 miles of Brookings, but with the new internship coordinator at SDSU, that range could be expanded. Opportunities for internships in other parts of the country might be more readily available.

With someone to organize all of the internships, there is also a possibility for students to have internship experiences abroad. Being an intern in another country can help students really explore the options of what can be done with their major. Corbett believes it would be a great experience for college students.

SA and university administration hope to combine efforts and put together a job description for the position. They want to have it done by the middle of October.

This position will make a huge impact. It will be full of opportunities, said Chris Schaefer, vice president of the Executive Board in SA.

Some of the people at the College of General Studies have heard the proposal and are being taken into consideration. As of right now, no one has been selected to fill the position but it is a work in progress. “We hope to have the position filled by January 2008,” said Schaefer.